TRINITY – Two suspects were being sought this week and a third was in custody following separate police pursuits on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Amanda Cook, 27, of Lovelady was arrested Friday on charges of evading arrest in a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault on a peace officer.
Two men, Donald Ray Hobbs, 31, and Richard Mack, both of Trinity, were being sought on a number of charges after police said they managed to elude arrest during foot and car chases over the weekend.
According to Trinity Police Chief Steven Jones, Cook was taken into custody by Officer Jon Beeman early Friday. July 10,. and charged with trying to ram Beeman’s patrol car while attempting to escape capture in her Ford Mustang.
The incident began about 1:25 a.m. when police responded to a disturbance report at a residence on Prospect Drive (Highway 19) across the street from the East Texas Medical Center-Trinity.
Upon arrival, officers Beeman and John Raiford were told that a woman had come to the residence and began banging on the door and screaming profanities. When no one answered the door, the woman left traveling north on Highway 19.
The city officers broadcast a request to other law enforcement officers to “be on the lookout” for the Mustang described by witnesses.
A short time later, Pct. 1 Deputy Constable Rusty Barrett notified the Trinity officers that he had spotted the car near the Barnes Switch area traveling south toward Trinity on Highway 19.
Raiford and Beeman received the radio report and drove to the northern city limits to wait for the car.
When the car entered the city, the officers drove behind it and turned on their overhead lights to stop the Mustang.
Beeman, who was driving the patrol car, said the car pulled into a parking lot and he followed. The Mustang then turned around and was facing the driver’s side of the patrol car.
“She hit the gas, the tires started spinning and the car started coming right at me,” Beeman said.
The officer said he hit his accelerator and managed to get out of the way before the two cars collided.
The Mustang accelerated back onto Highway 19 traveling south but the driver was unable to control it as it swerved back and forth across the north and south bound lanes. The car left the pavement and came to a stop in a grassy area on the east side of the highway.
Beeman said as the driver exited from the car, she was screaming at the officers, stating that she had wanted to kill them.
The suspect was taken into custody without further incident. She was subsequently transferred to the Trinity County Jail in Groveton.
The second pursuit began less than 24 hours later at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday, July 11, when Jones and Beeman spotted a man walking on Locke Street carrying a beer and a bottle of liquor.
Jones said they stopped to speak to the man, who began apologizing and promising to put the alcohol away.
“We wanted to talk to him so we started to get out of the patrol car, but when we opened the doors, he dropped everything in his hands and took off running,” Jones said.
The police chief said he recognized the suspect as Hobbs, and knew he had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
One warrant was issued in Walker County charging him with failing to appear in court on a possession of controlled substance change. The other was issued in Trinity County by the 258th District Court charging him with violating the conditions of his bond on a possession of controlled substance charge.
When the suspect fled on foot, Beeman gave chase and managed to catch him in a wooded area near the intersection of Locke and Aspen streets in northwest Trinity.
“There was a short tussle and the suspect managed to break free and run deeper into the thicket,” Jones said.
They were soon joined by Raiford as well as Trinity County deputies Larry Barak and Mark Moscinski, but a search of the area failed to located the suspect.
Jones said that during the struggle with Beeman, the suspect dropped his cap. When officers subsequently recovered it, they found one rock of crack cocaine inside the brim.
In addition to the warrants already issued for Hobbs’ arrest, Jones said additional charges are expected to be filed in connection with Saturday’s incident.
The third chase in which city officers were involved occurred Sunday, July 12, and began with a pursuit by Barrett on FM 356 east of Trinity.
The Precinct 1 deputy constable said the incident began when he made a traffic stop on FM 356 near the entrance to the Lake L Acres subdivision.
“The driver gave me what turned out to be a fake name,” Barrett said.
Later, after meeting with Raiford and looking a police photograph, Barrett was able to identify the driver as Richard Mack, who was wanted on a state parole violation warrant as well a resisting arrest warrant issued by the Trinity Municipal Court and a possession of controlled substance complaint issued by the 258th District Court in Trinity County.
Barrett said he felt he would spot the suspect’s car again was watching for it. At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, he sighted it on FM 356 traveling toward Trinity.
He began the pursuit near the Arndt’s Lane intersection and chased the vehicle into Trinity where he was joined by Deputy Barak and city officers Beeman and Raiford.
“Instead of making the sharp turn where 356 curves, he continued straight, going past Charlie May’s (nightclub) and then turned left onto Pinecrest (Road),” Barrett said.
About two houses down from the turn, Barrett said the suspect pulled into a driveway and then jumped out of the car, allowing the vehicle to continue forward. It crossed a yard and ended up in some trees in the home’s back yard.
The suspect fled west, crossing the railroad track and managed to elude the officers, Barrett said.